MERI 2026: Iraqi military vows to bring arms under state control
Shafaq News- Erbil
Iraq will bring armed factions’ weapons under state control and prevent activities outside state authority by June 30, 2027, Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces, stated on Tuesday.
Speaking at a panel during the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) Forum 2026 in Erbil, titled “After the Global Coalition: Iraq, the Kurdistan Region and the New Regional Balance,” al-Numan added that the withdrawal of the US-led Coalition “had removed all pretexts for refusing to place weapons under state control and unify security decision-making.”
He said that armed factions had pledged to honor a “goodwill initiative” and comply with a 90-day deadline announced by the government to halt any activities targeting a neighboring country. “All of Iraq’s borders are now fully secured, and no entity operating outside the law can threaten a neighboring country.”
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Regarding the end of the Coalition’s mission in Iraq, he clarified that the decision had been based on professional assessments, free from political interference.
Al-Numan also indicated that reconnaissance to identify hostile targets had previously been conducted by the Coalition. Since mid-2026, he added, all airstrikes carried out by F-16 aircraft had been conducted exclusively by the Iraqi military command.
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